Archive for category: Master Homeowner Program

It’s easy to be a good neighbor if you love where you live.

Maintain your domain.

Take a walk across the street and look at your property. Is it an advertisement for home repair services? Aside from old cars on blocks, avoid leaving toys in the yard, mow your lawn regularly, and fix any broken fence gate that goes clink-clank in the night. These little nuisances won’t make you friends.

Don’t blare the tunes.

Everyone loves a good party, but watch the volume when you crank up the music. If you plan on having a bash, let your neighbors know, so if they want, they can choose to have a quiet evening at home another night.

Keep an eye on Fido.

If your dog spends time in the backyard, be mindful if he’s a barker (as a rule, don’t let a barking dog woof it up for more than two minutes). If your yard isn’t fully fenced in, make sure your pooch doesn’t take his bathroom breaks on your neighbor’s lawn.

Make yourself helpful.

If you know your next-door neighbor is taking off to Japan, offer to collect her packages or mail until she gets back. If you’re sweeping your sidewalk, keep going and sweep hers, too.

Don’t drive like a maniac.

Keep it light on the gas pedal. Always be mindful of children, bikers, and runners. Think about safety.

Smile and say hello.

Make a habit of taking a stroll after dinner. Offer a smile. Strike up a conversation. Tell someone you like their garden. Or just give a small wave. Send out some good vibes and you’ll definitely get some in return.

If you ever decide to build a fence, confer with your neighbor first, and purchase one that’s attractive on both sides.

If you’d like to learn more about being a good neighbor, check out our Master Homeowner Class, Neighborhood Relations.

At Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam, we believe everyone deserves a decent, affordable place to live.

We build houses alongside hardworking community members and then sell those houses with a no-profit, affordable mortgage. We prepare each homebuyer to be successful homeowners. Each Habitat partner must meet certain income and credit qualifications, attend homebuyer education classes and help build their future home. It is hard work, but it pays off! Our partners don’t just build strength and stability for themselves, but for their entire community. Together, we build a better Kanawha Valley.

Meet Tausha

Tausha found out about Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam’s homeownership program from friends. Word of mouth spreads fast when there is a dire need for safe housing.

Tausha came to Habitat because she and her children lived in an unsafe neighborhood on Charleston’s west side. Numerous shootings are reported annually within blocks of her previous home. With three children, one of whom has special needs, Tausha feared what would happen if her children were to play outside. She was forced to keep them inside most of the time, and that’s no life for a developing child.

Since partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam in spring 2018, Tausha has excelled through the program. She completed the required 18 weeks of homebuyer education and financial training without missing a class, and completed her sweat equity hours after only one year in the program. She worked weekly to build her house, saying that her motivation is the dream of life in a good neighborhood.

“Habitat will let me live stress-free knowing my neighborhood is safe and my kids have a stable home.”

Tausha takes great pride in what she is doing to better her family. Hoping her children can look back on this time and see how hard their mother worked to provide them with a stable and safe home, she documented her journey through photographs and Instagram posts. She wants to share her story not only with her children, but also with her community. Tausha says that she wants to spread the hope that Habitat has given her, and she enjoys telling other’s about what it takes to partner with Habitat.

Tausha signed her mortgage paperwork one week before Christmas, and the same day she started moving her family into her brand new home. Now, she and her children will no longer have to worry about crime right outside their doorstep. Also, because Tausha’s mortgage is 0%-interest, she will be able to build equity in her home quickly – providing the strong financial foundation she has wanted for so long for her children.

If you would like to apply for partnership with Habitat for Humanity, CLICK HERE to take our short pre-qualification quiz — or call Anne Plott, Homeownership Program Director, at 304-720-0141 ext. 12.

A unique education program creating successful homeowners.

When Terri bought her first home, she quickly realized that she had no idea how to operate a house. Terri learned quickly how much she didn’t know about being a homeowner. She had no idea that she needed to change her furnace filter until after a costly repair visit from the HVAC repairman. She didn’t know how to winterize her home, who to call if she had an electrical problem or how do diagnose a plumbing leak.

“When I heard that Habitat Homebuyers receive in-depth training on how to be a successful homeowner, I thought, ‘Why hasn’t anyone offered that to people like me?'”

Terri’s story is common. People who buy a home through conventional means receive no training in the functions and operations of their new home. The fortunate ones have a friend or a relative who can show them the ropes, but many more are left adrift without any direction or do-it-yourself know-how. By knowing how a home operates, homeowners are able to maintain the value of their home and save money by preventing costly repairs.

Curriculum Overview

The centerpiece of the Master Homeowner Program is a series of nine classes held weekly in Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam’s Homeowner Education and Community Center. In addition to the nine classes, the program also requires participants to complete a nine-week financial and debt management course: Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Homeowners are required to perform home maintenance tasks as homework to demonstrate learned skills.

To earn a Master Homeowner Certificate, homeowners must complete each of the following hands-on classes:

Homeowner’s Toolbox:
Homeowners learn what basic tools are needed for common tasks in and around the house and learn how to use the tools properly.

Home & Neighborhood Safety:
Homeowners learn to identify potential threats to their property and learn the best practices in reporting and deterring security risks.

Neighborhood Relations:
Homeowners learn the importance of forming positive relationships with their close neighbors and the wider community, thus being empowered to improve their neighborhood.

Legal & Insurance Issues:
Homeowners learn from an attorney how to make the best insurance decisions, why estate planning is important and how not to become a victim of predatory lending. Homebuyers learn about the legal documents they will sign when they purchase a home.

Home Electrical Basics: Homeowners learn the functions of a basic residential electrical system. This class teaches practical electrical safety, energy usage in the home and how to hire an electrician if one is needed.

Home Maintenance:
Homeowners learn why it is important to maintain their home and the consequences if they do not. Students learn where to begin, what to look for, and in some circumstances how to perform maintenance that will keep the value of their investment intact.

Home Fire Safety & Prevention:
Homeowners learn the most common causes of house fires, how to prevent fires and what to do in case of fire. This class teaches participants, hands on, how to use fire extinguishers and properly place them in the home.

Basic Household Plumbing:
Homeowners learn how their home plumbing system works, where to check for leaks and how to prevent clogs. This class identifies common problems with household plumbing systems.

Home Energy Efficiency:
Homeowners learn energy efficiency concepts, the advantages of controlling the conditioned air in their homes and how to identify and eliminate energy waste.

Cost to Participants

In order to make the Master Homeowner Program available to a wide audience, there is a fee to cover the cost of printed materials pertaining to each class. Each class costs $10.

Classes are offered in two cycles per year. If you miss a class during the current fall 2018 session — and that’s okay — then you will automatically be registered for the next cycle of classes.

Program Evaluation

The Master Homeowner Program curriculum is evaluated after each cycle of classes using two evaluation methods: after-class surveys and comparison of pre and post-class test scores. It is the goal of the program to ensure that only effective instructors are utilized, and that all materials appear relevant to the participants. If instructors or class information is deemed sub-standard, improvements are made.

How the Master Homeowner Program Came to Be

The Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam staff and Board of Directors committed itself in 2014 to offering the most comprehensive homeownership education possible. Not wishing to reinvent the wheel, Habitat’s staff began reviewing commercially available education resources, but found all of them lacking. While there were many educational resources marketed under the general heading of “homeownership education,” they were all primarily concerned with leading someone through the process of buying a home, covering topics like finding a realtor and securing a mortgage. The small amount of home maintenance training in those courses imparted very little practical information. After an exhaustive search, Habitat decided to create its own program.

The development of the program began with the assistance of adult education professionals who helped Habitat staff understand the basics of adult education and the importance of a professionally designed and administered program. Realizing that no one on its staff had the requisite skills to design and run such a program, Habitat hired Janie Hamilton, who had a strong background in adult education.

Janie spent the the better part of a year developing the program from scratch. Working with an advisory panel that included individuals from disciplines related to homeownership and adult education, she established learning objectives and mapped those objectives to classroom instruction materials. Pre and post tests were developed to provide program effectiveness metrics. Nine key homeownership elements were identified as the core of the program. These were developed into classes that provide homeowners with the basic skills needed to maintain the condition and value of their largest investment: their home.

Recognizing that homeownership training could be a benefit Habitat could offer to the entire community – not just its own homebuyers – The Master Homeowner Program was opened in 2016 to allow any current or aspiring homeowner to participate. Most Master Homeowner Program participants have been people outside the Habitat for Humanity program.

A unique education program creating successful homeowners.

When Terri bought her first home, she quickly realized that she had no idea how to operate a house. Terri learned quickly how much she didn’t know about being a homeowner. She had no idea that she needed to change her furnace filter until after a costly repair visit from the HVAC repairman. She didn’t know how to winterize her home, who to call if she had an electrical problem or how do diagnose a plumbing leak.

“When I heard that Habitat Homebuyers receive in-depth training on how to be a successful homeowner, I thought, ‘Why hasn’t anyone offered that to people like me?'”

Terri’s story is common. People who buy a home through conventional means receive no training in the functions and operations of their new home. The fortunate ones have a friend or a relative who can show them the ropes, but many more are left adrift without any direction or do-it-yourself know-how. By knowing how a home operates, homeowners are able to maintain the value of their home and save money by preventing costly repairs.

Recognizing that homeownership training could be a benefit Habitat could offer to the entire community – not just its own homebuyers – The Master Homeowner Program was opened in 2016 to allow any current or aspiring homeowner to participate. Most Master Homeowner Program participants have been people outside the Habitat for Humanity program.

To register for the complete nine-class Master Homeowner course, CLICK HERE. You may also register for just the classes that interest you.

To earn a Master Homeowner Certificate, homeowners must complete each of the following hands-on classes:

Homeowner’s Toolbox:
Homeowners learn what basic tools are needed for common tasks in and around the house and learn how to use the tools properly.Monday, September 10, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home & Neighborhood Safety:
Homeowners learn to identify potential threats to their property and learn the best practices in reporting and deterring security risks.Monday, September 17, 2018
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Neighborhood Relations:
Homeowners learn the importance of forming positive relationships with their close neighbors and the wider community, thus being empowered to improve their neighborhood.Monday, September 24, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Legal & Insurance Issues:
Homeowners learn from an attorney how to make the best insurance decisions, why estate planning is important and how not to become a victim of predatory lending. Homebuyers learn about the legal documents they will sign when they purchase a home.Monday, October 1, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home Electrical Basics: Homeowners learn the functions of a basic residential electrical system. This class teaches practical electrical safety, energy usage in the home and how to hire an electrician if one is needed.Monday, October 8, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home Maintenance:
Homeowners learn why it is important to maintain their home and the consequences if they do not. Students learn where to begin, what to look for, and in some circumstances how to perform maintenance that will keep the value of their investment intact.Monday, October 15, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home Fire Safety & Prevention:
Homeowners learn the most common causes of house fires, how to prevent fires and what to do in case of fire. This class teaches participants, hands on, how to use fire extinguishers and properly place them in the home.Monday, October 22, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Basic Household Plumbing:
Homeowners learn how their home plumbing system works, where to check for leaks and how to prevent clogs. This class identifies common problems with household plumbing systems.Monday, October 29, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home Energy Efficiency:
Homeowners learn energy efficiency concepts, the advantages of controlling the conditioned air in their homes and how to identify and eliminate energy waste.Monday, November 5, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Cost to Participants

In order to make the Master Homeowner Program available to a wide audience, there is a fee to cover the cost of printed materials pertaining to each class. Each class costs $10.

Classes are offered in two cycles per year. If you miss a class during the current fall 2018 session — and that’s okay — then you will automatically be registered for the next cycle in spring 2019.

For more information on our classes, contact Janie Hamilton.

304-720-0141 ext. 18

Spring 2018 Master Homeowner Program

Do you have a few free hours in the evening? Are you looking to learn something new and useful? If so, Habitat for Humanity has something for you!

Home maintenance costs can add up fast. However, you could save money doing the upkeep yourself, and the sense of pride you’ll get from taking matters into your own hands will last a lifetime. If you don’t want to do the work yourself, knowing how it should be done is just as important for getting the results you expect from a contractor.

Habitat for Humanity has put together a series of classes that will teach you how to be a successful, lifelong homeowner. Our program is the only one of its kind in the country. It was developed right here in West Virginia with the needs of Habitat for Humanity homebuyers in mind, but it’s open to anyone.

“If you know how a job is done, but you don’t want to do it yourself, you can still make sure the job is done right. Our classes teach you what you need to know.” – Janie Hamilton, Master Homeowner Program Coordinator

What You Get

There are 9 classes in the course covering all possible issues of home ownership, and also a nine-week financial course that teaches you budgeting and money management. You have the option of taking single classes that interest you. Individual Master Homeowner classes cost $10 each. Our financial course price varies.

Classes Include:

Home & Neighborhood Safety: This class will teach you to identify potential threats to the security of yourself and your property, and learn the best practices for reporting and deterring security risks. Taught by our local law enforcement, this class puts the most experienced instructors at the helm — teaching you the “how-to” of home and neighborhood safety including personal, property and Internet safety.Monday, March 26, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Legal and Insurance Issues of Homeownership: You will learn the legal rights and responsibilities of homeownership. This class covers estate planning. It also teaches you the insurance coverage you should have from a legal standpoint.Monday, April 2, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Neighborhood Relations: You will gain a better understanding of the importance of forming positive relationships with your closest neighbors and the wider community, thus being empowered to improve your neighborhood. This class is a very “in your face” kind of class — taking a look at just how to rethink the kind of neighbor you really are and how to tolerate neighbors that are bit difficult.Monday, April 9, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Basic Household Plumbing: You will learn the details of a basic household plumbing system and learn where to check for leaks. This class will teach you the what, why, and how-to’s of household plumbing from second generation contractor John Thompson of E. J. Thompson & Son LLC. Hands-on experience is part of this class.Monday, April 16, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Homeowner’s Toolbox: You will learn what basic tools are needed in and around the house. This class teaches you how to buy, store and use your tools properly. Hands-on experience is part of this class.Monday, April 23, 2018
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home Fire Safety & Prevention: You will learn the most common causes of house fires and how to protect your family and home. Charleston firefighters will work with you during the class — teaching you how to use fire extinguishers and properly store them. Hands-on experience is part of this class.Monday, April 30, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home Maintenance: Join us and learn how doable and economical home maintenance can be. This class will teach you if and when it is time to call a professional, and what you need to look for to avoid the natural deterioration of your home. Cade Vogelsong of Viking Construction will lead this informative class. Hands-on experience is part of this class.Monday, May 7, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home Electrical Basics: You will learn to identify the type of service panel in your home, and how to best practice electrical safety in your home. This class will teach you what you really need to know about your home electrical system for the safety and protection of your family and home. You’ll learn from Master Electrician Mike Abernethy if and when an electrician needs to be called, and how to hire one. Hands-on experience is part of this class.Monday, May 14, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Home Energy Efficiency: Learn from a professional efficiency expert how to save on your home energy costs by learning why and how it works in the simplest, cost efficient ways and do much of it yourself. Take control by learning the facts. This class will help you identify areas of energy loss in your home, and show you how to remedy them. Hands-on experience is part of this class.Monday, May 21, 20185:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Classes are offered in two cycles per year. If you miss a class during the current spring 2018 session — and that’s okay — then you will automatically be registered for the next cycle in fall 2018.

For more information on our classes, contact Janie Hamilton at 304-720-0141 ext. 18 or janie@hfhkp.org.

As future homeowners partner with Habitat for Humanity to build a place they can call home, they work hundreds of hours to secure a better future for themselves and their families. Those future homeowners work to build their home — and the homes of others — alongside volunteers, but they also take steps that will help ensure their long-term success once they are in the home. Homeowners will not stay homeowners if they do not learn to take charge of their financial life.

All future Habitat homeowners participate in financial education classes that help them develop a solid foundation, often before the building process even begins.

Laura, a Habitat homeowner who has lived in the home she helped build for approximately a year and a half, says Habitat for Humanity’s classes can have a long-lasting, generational impact. “They set you up for success,” she says, “creating that sense of security that comes not only from homeownership, but savings and investments.”

We’d like you to join us for our next “Financial Peace University,” – a nine-lesson course focusing on money management taught by financial guru, Dave Ramsey and facilitated by Janie Hamilton. Janie is a Financial Peace University graduate, and she lives the methods learned through the course. She will present Dave’s tried and true method to walk you through the basics of budgeting, dumping debt, planning for the future and much more.

The best way to jump-start your financial planning and to see the most significant life-change is to join our local group and experience the class with other people. Classes typically meet for two hours once a week for nine weeks. The accountability and motivation you receive from discussing the lessons and meeting people face-to-face is the key to changing your life! Our classes start up in January.

“When we sit down, the very first class, we have them create a budget and list all of their outgoing payments and all of their incoming money each month so that they can get hands-on and actually see what’s going on,” says Janie Hamilton, course facilitator.

When you start “Financial Peace University,” you get immediate access to your online account which includes video of Dave’s teaching as well as additional reading and tools to help you win with money! You get one year of online access included when you purchase the course materials. Go through the video lessons and join our local group Monday nights starting in January for extra encouragement.

You can also contact Janie Hamilton directly with your questions at 304-720-0141 ext. 18 or email Janie at janie@hfhkp.org.

Preserve Your Biggest Investment – Your Home

When most people think of basic home maintenance, caulking may not make the list. It should. Caulking doesn’t just add an aesthetic finish to your home. The sealing compound is used to close up gaps against air, dust and insects. It provides a seal from the outdoor elements. Also, caulk protects your indoor surfaces by stopping water from seeping into cracks.

If you live in an older home, now is the time to inspect around your windows, doors and bathrooms. Older caulking is prone to peel away and chip, leaving your home exposed to insects and the elements. Unmaintained caulk also reduces your home’s overall energy efficiency.

According to the Consumer Federation of America, sealing unwanted leaks around your home is an excellent way to cut home energy costs and decrease your household carbon footprint. Also, sealing cracks and crevices around your home puts less strain on appliances and can save time, money and hassle by preventing major repairs. Additionally, increasing the lifetime of homes and appliances also puts less waste and pollution into landfills.

Caulking Can Be Intimidating

Choosing the right caulk from a selection of tubes spread across a 10-foot wall display can be downright intimidating. A single tube of caulk can cost $1.50 to $14. Regardless of what the caulk is labeled, its ingredients are the most important consideration in determining what it’s best suited for. What you want the caulk to adhere to and where you’ll want to use it determine the caulk you buy.

Caulking joints around doors and windows requires a sealant that is flexible and long-lasting, adheres to siding (wood, aluminum and vinyl), resists extreme weather conditions and, if it’s not painted over, withstands direct sunlight. To seal flashing around a chimney, the caulk must adhere to masonry, roofing shingles and metal flashing and stand up to the elements unpainted. The warm, wet conditions of a bathroom require that a caulk resist mildew and moisture.

Learn What You Need to Know to Do the Job Yourself – Easily

Don’t let intimidation stop you from taking on a project yourself. Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam is here to teach you the knowledge you need to choose the right product, and give you the skills needed to get the job done right. We’re hosting a two-hour workshop dedicated to the art of caulking on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 5:30 p.m.. You will learn from Darrin Huffman of Builders First Source all of his personal tips and tricks to get your job done right. Also, this will be a hands-on workshop. You will get the chance to work with caulk adhesives up close and put into practice the best techniques to apply it to multiple surfaces.

For more information or to register for Habitat for Humanity’s upcoming “Art of Caulking” workshop, visit our events page by clicking here. You can also email our Education Program Coordinator, Janie Hamilton, at janie@hfhkp.org to register for the workshop.

As the temperature continues to rise this summer, your power bill doesn’t need to increase by extreme degrees too. Saving money is easy.

Here are some strategies from Appalachian Power to conserve energy and save money on your electric bill.

• Close the drapes on the sunny side of your home while you are there, or close all window coverings if you are leaving for the day.

• Turn off unnecessary lights and use energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs, which use less energy and give off less heat.

• Seal air leaks with caulking and weather stripping, and minimize door traffic to keep the cool air inside.

• Use heat-producing appliances such as your dryer, dishwasher and range during the cooler nighttime hours.

• Turn air conditioners to the highest comfortable setting to save money. Energy experts recommend 76 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re home and 80 degrees while you are away. Adjusting your thermostat up a few degrees will have a significant impact on your cooling bill, saving approximately 30 percent on your summer cooling costs.

• Clean or replace your air conditioning filter monthly, or as needed.

• Keep coils on the exterior air conditioning unit free of dirt, grass clippings and leaves.

For more information about how you can save money and maintain your home for years to come — check out our Master Homeowner Program— designed to teach you the basic skills necessary to be a successful, lifelong homeowner.

Many of us find a piece of used furniture that speaks to us, but it may not match the décor in our homes. That is where Rich “The Refurburator” Chapman comes in. Chapman owns “Refurburator” in Kanawha City. His store offers custom furniture painting, interior design, chalk paint classes and estate sales. He also enjoys giving back to his community by volunteering.

“I have always known how Habitat helps people in the community with housing and home education,” Chapman says. “This is my way of helping too.”

Saturday, July 22 marks the third class Chapman has taught in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Eleven participants from Kanawha and Putnam counties signed up to learn how to take old furniture, such as tables and chairs, and give it new life. The class members worked with Dixie Belle chalk paint and a special finishing wax over the course of three hours to completely transform their pieces.

Chapman insists that every old chair, table and wardrobe can be made new again, saying, “a great way to keep these items out of the landfill is to repurpose them into something more useful.”

The chalk paint that class members used is very forgiving, according to Chapman. A lot of times he uses it to create an aged appearance on pieces he sells from his shop, saying the paint can be distressed with little effort. As for how long the class member’s renewed furniture will last, Chapman says that under normal conditions, if it is waxed, it will last for years. “That’s what I like about Dixie Belle paints. They last for a really long time, unlike latex paints that can chip and peel if you put something like a lamp on them.”

Chapman plans to host more classes at Habitat for Humanity’s community center in the future. Whatever your skill level, the projects his classes take on are a perfect match for anyone — from a novice do-it-yourselfer to an expert crafter.

If you’re interested in checking out Chapman’s “Refurburator” store, it is located at 3706 MacCorkle Avenue, SE, in Kanawha City.

When Terri bought her first home in 2007, she quickly realized that she had no idea how to operate a house.

“When you buy a car,” said Terri, “at least you get an owner’s manual and the salesman shows you how to set the stations on the radio. But at my closing, the realtor and lawyer handed me the keys and that was it!”

Terri learned quickly how much she didn’t know about being a homeowner. She had no idea that she needed to change her furnace filter until after a costly repair visit from the HVAC repairman. She didn’t know how to winterize her home, who to call if she had an electrical problem or how do diagnose a leaky pipe.

Terri’s story is common. People who buy a home through conventional means receive no training. The fortunate ones have a friend or a relative who can show them the ropes, but many more are left adrift without any direction or do-it-yourself know-how.

“When I heard that Habitat home buyers receive in-depth training on how to be a successful homeowner, I thought, ‘Why hasn’t anyone offered that to people like me?'”

We heard you, Terri.

Introducing The Master Homeowner Program
Habitat for Humanity’s vision has always been a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Here in Kanawha and Putnam Counties we have been hard at work for 28 years building new houses for qualifying families, but we also recognize that there are a lot of people who are currently living in homes whose state of repair is on a downward spiral. Many people simply lack the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain their home, and many others do not understand the importance of doing so. It has become clear to us that in order to achieve our vision, not only do we need to continue to build new homes, but we need to address the deterioration of existing housing in our community.

To address the issue, Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam has developed the Master Homeowner program to empower homeowners in our community to be proactive and proficient in the basic skills that are required to maintain the condition and value of the largest investment in their lives. The program is designed to instruct and inform homeowners or those planning to become homeowners, in all areas necessary to be successful, healthy, lifelong homeowners.

The Master Homeowner Program is structured similarly to the widely acclaimed Master Gardener Program offered by the WVU Extension Service: a certificate program that features classroom instruction, and hands-on experience. Classes are taught by professionals in the field and participants then take the information and apply it in their own homes.

The program was developed with the needs of Habitat for Humanity Home Buyers in mind, but is open to everyone. Anyone who owns their own home or wishes to own a home in the future is eligible to receive the Master Homeowner certificate. It will take most participants 9-12 months to complete all of the program requirements.

Habitat Stories

Non-Proselytizing Policy

Habitat for Humanity Non-Proselytizing Policy Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations (HFH) will not proselytize. Nor will HFH work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with HFH. This means that HFH will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must (i) adhere to or convert to a particular faith or (ii) listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.